The second puppy has arrived! Here's Missy: [link]

Gemma sounds like a great kid.

I am enjoying today because I finished all my cooking at 2 when I made creamed spinach to take to dinner. Yesterday involved a bit too much, between putting up and trimming the tree, making dinner, and wrapping presents.

And Kat, that's a tough one. I know that feeling, the frustrated/angry/guilt combo.

oh my gosh, those puppies are cute!

Cutie-pie doggies!

I'm sorry, Kat, that doesn't sound fair to you.

Because I have actually reduced the perpetual stack of dishes-that-need-washing, it is of course time to make stock and probably cook some other stuff, build that stack back up to its usual levels. Smells good, I must say - lotta fennel in the things-to-go-in-stock stash this round.

I made a big pot of Chili so I wouldn't have to fuss with dinner. We are chillaxing watching Despicable Me, playing with B's rainbow loom, and otherwise doing as little as possible.

Just a quick note to say I love you, truly, madly, deeply. I was thinking this was my second worst Christmas, the worst being the one I was down in Texas and working, completely alone for the holidays. This Christmas season was rough without seeing my grandma for the first time in 40mmfth years, but then my son called and said he would be coming home tomorrow, AND THEN Buffistas emailed me with a project to make someone happy. Suddenly this is one of the better holidays.

I am home, kitties are happy to see me, and man...Christmas with my family was great, but I am so glad to be home and done with the holidays so life can go back to normal for a while.

Ooh, I almost forgot I had chocolate covered-cherries for Xmas! Eating them now.

My honorary aunt and uncle - they were not related to us but, I guess friends of my grandparents? I'm honestly not sure how they were connected to us. But they sent each of us kids a $5 bill and a box of chocolate-covered cherries every Christmas. It's the only time I ever had that particular candy, so it's totally a Christmas flavor for me. When I saw a box of them made with dark chocolate when I was looking for something else at Target, I went ahead and picked them up and saved them for today.

Pretty much as I remember them. Yum.

Happy Merry, everybody. I love us all.

This sloppy sentimentality brought to you by post-dinner, pre-coma giddiness of excellent ham, sweet potatoes and perfect broccoli with horseradish and sour cream sauce, followed by marionberry coffeecake and dessert coffee.

I refrained from instigating a full-on, extended version watch of all three LotR movies today, and feel that was the better part of valor. And may I just say at this juncture, "Tree pretty."

Aww, Theresa, that's nice to say.

Dinner is over except pie, mmm, pie! It went splendidly. Roast pork w/ apricot glaze. Asparagus w/ lemon butter. Brussels sprouts w/ bacon. There were also supposed to be my grandmother's Portuguese sweet rolls, but my yeast is apparently dead. So it ended up being a pretty clean meal. Other than the two pieces of pie, of course. Did I mention, mmm, pie?

Waiting on the folks' call: my sister & fam are at my mom & dad's place. And then we're going to change clothes and take a holiday photo as if we haven't been slounging around in inside pants all day. But hey, when can you slounge around all day in inside pants if not Christmas Day?

And then pie!

It's been a pretty good day.